Mix These Polishes to Get the Hottest Spring Runway Manis

Any mani addict will tell you that there’s always a new, cool shade of polish shade left to discover. Case in point: Backstage at the Spring runways, nail artists mixed two polishes to create the precise shade they desired. The result: One-a-kind hues with more depth than your typical off-the-shelf shades. Scroll on to learn how you can recreate their custom blends.

Seeing Red

Courtesy Essie (3)

Backstage at Rag & Bone, manicurist Julie Kandalec kicked off the nail look with two coats of Essie’s A List ($9; essie.com), a blue-based red with opaque coverage. After letting the layer dry, she painted on a coat of Essie’s Really Red ($9; essie.com), a sheer, warm-toned rouge. The reason? Starting with the darker shade allows the lighter hue to pop, and creates a sense of dimension, says Kandalec.

Silver Metallic Melt

Courtesy Sally Hansen (3)

Sally Hansen manicurist Madeline Poole, used layering to create a metallic manicure at 3.1 Phillip Lim. The pro started with two layers of Sally Hansen's Let's Snow ($7; target.com) before topping off with light, feathery strokes of the brand’s metallic Gilty Party polish ($7; target.com). “Sometimes when you use metallic, it can be a little sheer,” Poole says. “The white provides a clean canvas that allows the shine to really pop.”

Not-So-Basic Beige

Courtesy Essie (3)

At Alexander Wang, manicurist Michelle Saunders showed that two neutrals are better than one. She applied a layer of Essie’s Cocktails and Coconuts ($9; essie.com), a sandy hue with a bit of shimmer, before lightly brushing on another layer of Essie’s khaki-toned Au Naturale ($9; essie.com). Brushing the matte layer over the shimmery one allowed for the slightest amount of shine to peek through for a natural glisten, says Saunders. (No disco ball nails here.)